SB907 expands Maryland’s laws addressing female genital mutilation (FGM) by broadening the definition of child “abuse” to expressly include FGM for mandatory reporting purposes. It also revises the criminal prohibition so that a person may not knowingly perform, attempt, or conspire to perform FGM on a minor, or transport a minor out of state for that purpose. Parents, guardians, or other caretakers who knowingly consent to FGM on a child are also covered.
The bill increases the criminal penalty for violating the FGM subtitle from up to 5 years and/or a $5,000 fine to up to 10 years and/or a $10,000 fine. It further requires a health occupations licensing board to revoke the license of a licensed individual who is convicted of, pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, or receives probation before judgment for a violation. In addition, the bill creates a civil cause of action for victims, authorizes damages and attorney’s fees, requires annual reporting of FGM-related data beginning in 2027, and directs the Maryland Department of Health to develop and distribute culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials.
In state law, the bill amends Family Law reporting provisions and adds/renumbers sections in the Health-General Article to define FGM, set out the offense, provide medical exceptions, establish penalties, create civil remedies, and require public reporting and education. The law takes effect October 1, 2026, and is intended to strengthen both prevention and enforcement mechanisms around FGM.
The available voting history shows unanimous support in both chambers, with third reading passage by 45-0 in the Senate and 116-0 in the House. There are no committee transcripts provided, but the vote totals suggest broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the legislative record supplied.
The main policy emphasis is on child protection, public health, and deterrence through stronger criminal, professional, and civil consequences. Potential points of contention in a bill like this would typically involve the severity of penalties, mandatory license revocation, and the scope of reporting and educational outreach, but no recorded opposition or debate is included in the materials provided.
SB907 amends Maryland’s Family Law and Health-General statutes to explicitly classify female genital mutilation as child abuse for mandatory reporting, expand the criminal prohibition to cover attempts, conspiracies, and out-of-state transport for the procedure, and increase felony penalties. It also adds a mandatory professional licensing consequence for licensed offenders, creates a private civil remedy for victims, and requires annual state reporting and public education efforts through the Department of Health.
The bill appears to have been received very positively in the legislature. It passed both chambers unanimously, indicating strong bipartisan support and little to no recorded opposition in the voting history provided. The overall tone of the measure is protective and preventive, framed around child safety, public health, and victim support.
No committee testimony or floor debate is provided, and the recorded votes were unanimous, so there is no documented controversy in the supplied materials. If any concerns existed, they would likely have centered on the expanded criminal penalties, mandatory license revocation for health professionals, and the breadth of reporting and public education requirements, but none are reflected in the available record.